Midnight Scrum (transcript)
Transcript (Camera pans over the treetops. Birds fly off, startled by shouting.) Viking 1: Come back here! Viking 2: Get him! Viking 1: Where'd he go? Viking 2: Don't let him get away! (Hiccup runs. An arrow and an axe slice through the air just in front of him and he gasps.) Hiccup: Whoa! (Hiccup keeps running. Other feet, clearly those of bulkier men, carry his pursuers just behind him.) Viking 1: We'll get you! Viking 2: He's on the right! Behind that tree! Come on! We're getting closer! (A viking jumps off a cliff, an axe raised above his head, and shouting. Hiccup dodges, sliding down a hill. He laughs, perhaps slightly manically, at his victory, but it is short lived as he looks ahead.) Hiccup: Wha? Whoa! (Hiccup's slide becomes a tumble as he loses control of his momentum.) (Within earshot; Astrid, Stormfly, and Toothless are gathering apples.) Hiccup: Toothless! (Toothless drops the bucket of apples he was carrying, his expression turning fierce as he attempts to locate his rider. Hiccup crests a nearby hill, on his feet again and still running.) Hiccup: Toothless! (Behind him, a number of burly vikings also crest the hill, shouting, hot on his heels. Hiccup slides again, trying to increase his speed. Stormfly, with Astrid astride her, rushes forward in the air. Toothless rushes forward on the ground, using his wings to cover more ground in each bound. He clears the still sliding Hiccup, putting himself between the vikings and his rider. Hiccup skids to a stop, eyes fixed on his dragon. Toothless fires a plasma blast into the oncoming men, scattering several into the air.) Astrid: Get 'em, Stormfly. (The vikings struggle to dodge Stormfly's spine-shot, falling over themselves on the slope. One man loses a rolled up piece of paper as he tumbles. His companion flees, followed by the man who had fallen as soon as he regains his feet.) Astrid: Yeah, that's right! Keep running! (Astrid turns Stormfly from the fleeing men to Hiccup. The pair land near where Hiccup came to a stop. He's sitting in the grass, recovering.) Astrid: You okay? Hiccup: (Winded) Yeah, I think so. (Toothless pads up and licks most of his face in one go.) Hiccup: Ugh! I'm all right, bud. (Hiccup pets the top of Toothless' head and climbs to his feet. In the foreground, the paper dropped by the fleeing man rustles in the breeze.) Astrid: Who were those guys? They didn't look like Dragon Hunters. Hiccup: You know, I don't know. With all the flying axes and tumbling down hills, I forgot to ask. (Toothless notices the paper rustling and bounds off to chase after it. By the time Hiccup and Astrid notice, he's batting the paper around on the grass, catlike.) Hiccup: Hey. What you got there, Toothless? (Hiccup and Astrid approach, they are able to read the paper Toothless is playing with as they get closer. Their expressions darken.) Astrid: I think I know who those guys were. (Later, in the Clubhouse) (Snotlout is holding up the sheet of paper, laughing. He seems completely thrilled by what he sees on it.) Snotlout: (Laughing) No way! Viggo put a price on Hiccup's head? (He holds up the paper to be seen at last. It's a wanted poster with a rather unflattering sketch of Hiccup.) Snotlout: Oh, man! Every bounty hunter from here to the archipelago is gonna be looking for you. Hiccup: (Sarcastic) Thank you, Snotlout, for your undying support. Snotlout: No, thank you, Hiccup. Fishlegs Ingerman: Hmm. I wonder if Viggo's paying the bounty with Berk's gold? (Beside Fishlegs, Heather looks troubled.) Tuffnut: That much irony should be illegal. Let me see that. (Tuffnut snatches the poster from Snotlout's hand, brandishing it even as he reads.) Tuffnut: Wait a minute, there's no mention of us at all. (Ruffnut prods at the poster in his hands.) Ruffnut: It's all about Hiccup. Tuffnut: Pfft, typical! I demand a bounty be on us immediately, and that the hounds be released. Ruffnut: I'll put a bounty on us. Tuffnut: Thanks, sister. I know I could count on you. All right, we'll need flattering pictures for our flyers, a creepy alias, mine will be Nutte Tuff. (Tuffnut gestures expansively as he speaks of his "creepy alias". Ruffnut looks unreasonably impressed.) Hiccup: All right, enough about the bounty. Mine and yours. We have other things to do. Heather: I hate to say it, Hiccup, but it might be a good idea to lie low for a while until this cools off. Hiccup: No way. That's playing right into Viggo's hands. Astrid: Wait, you can't still be planning on going to the party? Hiccup: It's Berk's 400 year anniversary. You know what my dad would do to me if I missed it? Snotlout: And he's finally gonna nail you for losing all of Berk's gold. (Cackles) It's gonna be epic! Hiccup: We're not kids anymore, Snotlout. He's not gonna "nail me". Fishlegs: I don't know, Hiccup. A crowded, public event is the perfect place for bounty hunters to slip in undetected. Hiccup: Fishlegs, I appreciate your concern, but no. I'm not hiding from anyone. We're going to the party. (Toothless growls slightly.) (Later, on Berk. The village is bustling with activity as people prepare for the celebration.) Gobber: Can you believe it, Stoick? Four hundred years! Makes ya proud to be a Berkian. (Stoick claps Gobber on the shoulder.) Stoick: Yes, it does. Gobber: (Clears his throat.) Now, what else do we need on my list? (He unrolls a list long enough to reach his feet.) Stoick: (Sigh) I don't have to remind you, do I, that Berk's gold was lost to Viggo? Gobber: No, chief, I was there. (Nearby, the dragon riders come in for a landing. The Chief focuses on Hiccup, stiffening visibly, this does not seem a reunion he's looking forward to.) Gobber: Don't be too hard on him about the gold, Chief. It wasn't all his fault. We were lucky to get off that island in one piece. (Stoick does not reply, instead stepping forward to meet his son. Hiccup does not look enthusiastic about the meeting either. He shies away from his father as he approaches, not meeting his eyes. Toothless stays close behind his rider, his body language cautious. After a long moment, Hiccup raises his eyes to meet his father's. Toothless grumbles nervously. Stock returns Hiccup's gaze, then sighs, making a decision.) Stoick: How's life in the Great Beyond, Son? (Snotlout appears suddenly behind Hiccup, all but leaping onto Hiccup's back to interject.) Snotlout: Ha! Funny you should ask, Chief. There's actually a... (Hiccup cuts Snotlout off with a hand to the face. Covering his mouth and pushing him back.) Hiccup: Yeah, it's great, Dad. How could it not be great? It's the Great Beyond. Right, guys? (Astrid, Fishlegs, and Heather mutter various assents and agreements over one another, looking everywhere but at Stoick.) Hiccup: (Nervous laugh.) So, how are things here? Stoick: They've been...better. Hiccup: Yeah, about that. Uh, listen, Dad... Stoick: We can discuss it later, Son. (He puts his arm around his son's shoulder and pulls him closer, fondly, if distant.) Always remember, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Hiccup: Yeah. Got it. Loud and clear. Stoick: Now, go enjoy yourselves. A party like this happens only once in 400 years. (Stoick steps away to continue preparations. Hiccup sighs heavily once he's out of earshot.) Snotlout: That's it? What a rip-off! Tuffnut: Okay, you heard the man. Ruffnut: The party is on! Tuffnut: Yeah! On and going! (The three of them head out into the village. Astrid stays behind, speaking to Hiccup softly.) Astrid: Aren't you gonna tell him about the bounty? Hiccup: No. I'm not. He has enough to deal with right now. (Later, the celebration is in full swing. A group of village children march in parade, toting pennants. Gobber acts as announcer, shouting over the crowd. His face is painted blue and black for the occasion.) Gobber: Let's hear it for the wee ones! (The villagers cheer and coo over the children.) Gobber: We Berkians have come a long way in 400 years. For a long time, we were at war with the dragons, hunting them, killing them. (In the crowd, a Terrible Terror climbs onto the shoulder of a villager. The Viking is startled at first, but the small dragon rubs against him like a cat and he regards it fondly.) Gobber: But that all changed one day when some of our youngest Berkians had the guts to step up and take a stand. Ladies and Vikings, the time has come to look towards the future of Berk. I give you Hiccup and the Dragon Riders! (He gestures broadly to the darkened sky. In the distance, the Riders' mounts glow with dragon fire. With a rush of swift wings, the dragons fly above the villagers. The crowd cheers at the spectacle, while a small girl gazes up at the dragons and their riders in awe.) (In the air, Hiccup, his face painted with red stripes below his eyes, turns back to his companions.) Hiccup: 'All right, guys. Let's give 'em a show to remember. ''(Astrid and Heather fly towards each other, grinning across the gap between them as they stand upright on their saddles. The dragons skim within inches of each other, and the girls leap before they can collide, clinking their bracers together in salute as they pass through the air, before landing on their dragon's saddles again.) '''Astrid: (Pumping her fist in the air.) Yes! Ha ha! (The crowd below goes wild.) (Back in the air, Hookfang's body is alight as he and Snotlout swoop toward the ground.) Snotlout: Comin' in hot! (Hookfang breathes fire onto a heap of logs as they pass, igniting an impressive bonfire. The villagers continue their wild cheers.) Berk Villager 1: This is fun! (The twins fly their dragon straight up, Barf's gas trailing behind them.) Ruffnut: You're making the nose too big! Tuffnut: Everyone loves a strong, authoritative nose. (Barf and Belch fall backwards toward the gas cloud.) Ruffnut: Whoop, whoop, whoop! Tuffnut: Light it up, Belch! (The gas explodes with Belch's spark, revealing a pattern of fire in the shape of a viking head. Fishlegs and Meatlug swoop in from behind the flames.) Fishlegs: 'Suck it in, Meatlug. ''fly through one of the fire-Viking eyes like a ring of fire, emerging on the other side almost unscathed. Only Fishlegs' helmet is on fire. '''Fishlegs: (Punching the air wildly.) Whoo! Oh, yeah! Oh, yeah! Fishlegs! (Below, Bucket and Mulch cheer, while above, Hiccup and Toothless swoop below the village rooftops on the path to their part in the show. Hiccup scans the familiar faces of the villagers as he passes over, smiling. Then he notices a group of strangers standing apart from the raucous crowd and his expression turns to surprise.) Hiccup: Huh? (The strangers notice his gaze and meet it, looking suspicious in the firelight. Hiccup's expression darkens.) Hiccup: Bounty hunters! (Hiccup and Toothless abandon their display, swooping back around the bonfire and landing feet from the strangers, confronting them. The strangers' recoil in shock from boy and dragon.) Hiccup: (Aggressive) Who are you?! Silent Sven: Please don't hurt them, Hiccup. (Silent Sven runs to Hiccup and Toothless' side. Hands raised, placating.) Hiccup: Wait, you know these guys? Silent Sven: Sure, they're my uncles. Whispering Waldo, Mute Marvin, and Soft Spoken Sam. Soft-Spoken Sam: (Appropriately soft spoken.) Hi. Silent Sven: They're just ship-lagged from their long journey. Hiccup: Sorry, Sven. (Hiccup pats the back of Toothless' neck as Astrid and Stormfly come in for a landing behind him.) Hiccup: And you too, Muttering Marvin, Wailing Waldo, and...uh... Oh, nevermind. Welcome to Berk. (Hiccup and Toothless abscond from the embarrassing situation, Astrid and Stormfly close behind. Between buildings, shadowed and out of sight, two bounty hunters observe the dragons passing, checking their riders against Hiccup's wanted poster.) (Later in the Great Hall, Astrid and Hiccup sit the end of a long table, near the central fire pit. The fire burns low.) Hiccup: All right, I admit it, living with a bounty on my head is more stressful than I thought. First Viggo gets our gold, now this. I just think I should... Astrid: (Reaches out and places her hand on Hiccup's, quieting him.) Tell Stoick. He's the chief, and he's your dad. Hiccup: ' No. ''(He stands, resolute.) Like he said; "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." Good night, Astrid. I'II see you in the morning. (Hiccup walks out of the hall, door hardware clanking with his passing. Astrid watches him leave, her expression troubled.) (Later that night, Astrid sleeps, only to be startled awake by the sound of Stoick shouting outside, moving from door to door. Urgent.) '''Stoick: Hiccup! Has anyone seen Hiccup? Hiccup! (Astrid meets Stoick outside. He looks very distressed. Toothless trails behind him, troubled and wary.) Stoick:' Have you seen Hiccup? (Astrid's expression vies between anger and tears. She shakes her head no.) (Later, in an unfamiliar place, Hiccup wakes slowly.) Hiccup: Huh? Where am I? (He moves to investigate, and finds his arms have been bound behind him and his legs bound together. He struggles, then pauses to take in his surroundings and test the limits of his bonds. He finds the ropes binding him quite secure.) Hiccup: There's got to be something sharp. (He casts around the space a moment before spying a bent nail sticking from the wall. He scoots over to it and begins to work the ropes against its sharp edges, cutting through the fibers. It's a slow process.) Hiccup: Come on. Come on. Come on. (There is movement above, presumably his captors. Two figures pass directly above, raining down dust and casting bulky shadows through a crack in the ceiling boards. They're heading toward the stairs leading to where Hiccup is being held. He works the ropes harder against the nail.) (With heavy footfalls, Hiccup's captors approach. The same men who had watched from the shadows during the celebration.) Amos: He's awake! Quick Berthel, knock him out again. (Both men grin nastily at the idea.) Hiccup: I wouldn't do that if I were you. Amos: Why not? Hiccup: (Thinking quickly.) Because you might accidentally kill me, and...Viggo wants me alive. Berthel: Is that true? Amos: Well, what does the poster say? Berthel: I lost the poster. Amos: Berthel, you had one thing to do! Hold the poster. (Berthel holds up his arms to reveal two hooks for hands.) Berthel: Holding things is not my strong suit. You know that. Amos: Maybe we'll knock you out later. Hiccup: You know, if I were you two, I'd release me. My friends will be here any minute, with their dragons. Their fire-breathing dragons. Amos: He's bluffin'. (There is a thud from above, dust rains down from the ceiling.) Berthel: What's that? Dragons? (Amos and Berthel run back up the stairs, Berthel shouting. Hiccup resumes working at the ropes binding his hands in earnest. After several long moments work, the rope gives way. With a small exhalation of triumph, Hiccup goes to work unbinding his legs. Above, there is the sound of a struggle and shouts that suggest Hiccup's captors are losing. Hiccup runs to the foot of the stairs, expecting his friends.) Hiccup: I'm down here! (A tall, horn-helmeted figure blocked the sun shining down the stairway.) Savage: (Intimidating) Yes. I know you are. Hiccup: (Stepping back, taken off guard.) Savage. (Savage proceeds down the stairs, laughing at Hiccup's surprise. Hiccup cast around, seeking something that can aid his escape, finding little, his expression darkens. He tenses, ready for a fight. Savage too is ready to fight. With a cry, he swung his axe at Hiccup's head. Hiccup dodged, diving desperately to the floor for the only useful thing nearby. A coil of rope. Savage swung again, taking advantage of Hiccup's prone position. Hiccup blocked the axe with the rope, then rolled to the side, getting back to his feet and twisting the rope around the axe handle. Then he snaked his metal leg around Savage's and shoved. Savage went down in an undignified sprawl, and Hiccup bolted up the stairs. To find that he is on a ship. In open water, with no land in sight.) Hiccup: Oh, Thor! (Savage got on top of Hiccup on the ground.) Savage: Slippery one, aren't you? Hiccup: Wait, Savage, you don't want to do this. (Savage threw Hiccup on his ship.) Savage: For once in my life, I know exactly what I want to do. Thanks for getting him off Berk, muttonheads. Berthel: Hold me, Amos. (Scene cut to Dragon Riders.) Fishlegs: Since Viggo's island is north, the bounty hunters should be heading in this direction. Stoick: We'll find him, boy. Don't you worry? Heather: The deep sea channel is calm this time of year, and cuts right through to Viggo's island. Astrid: We'll follow the channel and hope he's on it. Stoick: Why wouldn't he tell me about the bounty. It's because of what I said, isn't it? Astrid: He's Hiccup, sometimes his pride's bigger than his brain. Tuffnut: In the interest of full disclosure, Chief, Ruff and I have a price on our heads as well. Ruffnut: We've been dropping these all over the archipelago. Snotlout: Ha! Hey! Hey! and after we get Hiccup back, I'm going to collect your bounty. Stoick: There it is. We got 'em now. (Dragon Riders land on ship.) Stoick: Search the rest of the ship. Leave no stone unturned. It's all right. (Amos and Berthel climbing on the side of the boat.) Amos: Push me up, Berthel! Berthel: How can I push you when I'm pullin' me? Amos: Finally, we made it. Stoick: Where is Hiccup? Amos: We don't have him anymore. Astrid: We searched below deck. He's not here. Berthel: See, we told you. Savage took him. Tuffnut: I see you found some of our posters. Ruffnut: But why are they on a roll in the outhouse? Berthel: The soft, two-ply parchment is soothing. Tuffnut: You picked up on that, very observant. Ruffnut: And absorbent. See what I did there? Tuffnut: Yes. Let's sit down and negotiate a deal for the surrender of one Ruffnut and one Tuffnut Thorston. (Stoick throws the two hunters overboard.) Ruffnut: We'll have our people Terror Mail your people. (Scene cut to Hiccup.) Savage: That'll hold you. Hiccup: Savage, think about what you're doing. I'm the only one standing between Viggo and his rule. Once you hand me over... Savage: Quiet! I've been disrespected my whole life, but now, I'll be a Viking of legend. Hiccup: Viggo will never respect you. He's playing you for a fool. Savage: At least I'll be a rich fool. Hiccup: If gold is what you want, Berk has more gold than you can imagine. Stoick will pay you double what Viggo is offering. Savage: Nice try, Hiccup. Berk has no gold. Everyone knows that. Who's the fool now? (Hiccup tripped Savage again and tried to escape, but Savage caught him.) Gonna swim home with your hands tied? (Savage took Hiccup's leg off.) Now, you can't run either. Hiccup: Throk! Throk: I've been looking all over for you. Hiccup: No, wait. Throk: Mala heard about the bounty. She sent me to rescue you. (Hiccup put his leg back on.) This way. Come on. Hiccup: We gotta get to the Edge. There are bounty hunters everywhere. Throk: Not to worry, Hiccup Haddock. You're safe now. Hiccup: Is anyone not after me? (Throk fighting the masked bounty hunter.) Throk: Now, you're safe. (Throk got a blow dart to the neck, then Hiccup got shot.) (Scene cut to Dragon Riders on ship.) Stoick: Where is he taking my son? Savage: I don't know where he is. One minute I was holding his leg, and the next, I woke up and he was gone. I swear it. Throk: A masked Viking surprised me. He must have Hiccup Haddock. Snotlout: You let some random guy beat you? Throk: He was very skilled. Stoick: Where is he taking Hiccup? Savage: Wait! Wait! Sleipnir island. Ryker is waiting there with the gold. I don't know what they're gonna do to Hiccup. It's his own fault he got grabbed, not mine. Stoick: You're right. Tuffnut: I'm sure you've heard about the Thorston bounty. We're accepting offers, but you can expect a bidding war. Ruffnut: Uh-huh. Stoick: Riders, mount up! Throk: Thor be with you, Dragon Riders. (Scene cut to Sleipnir Island.) (Hiccup ran away from the masked bounty hunter, but he caught Hiccup by a chain to the neck.) Krogan: Don't do that again. Ryker: Finally. Hiccup Haddock. No dragons to save you, no friends to save you. All alone. Krogan: The gold. Ryker: Your eyes look familiar, masked man. Do I know you? Krogan: The gold. Ryker: You did good. But there'll be no gold for this one-legged fool. Krogan: Then there will be no prize. Ryker: Hunters! Dragon Hunter 1: Hi. Ryker: Come with me. Hiccup: There's got to be something on this island. A dragon. Anything. Huh? That's not exactly what I had in mind. Ryker: Hurry up! He can't get far! Hiccup: Sheep. Krogan: I'll take you to Viggo myself. Hiccup: Wait. I know you. You were at Viggo's auction. Krogan: Pull me up. What are you doing? Wait? No! No! Hiccup: Whoa! Whoa! Ryker: Oh, I'd love to drop you, but Viggo wants to kill you himself. Hiccup: That's very considerate. Dragon Hunter 2: Huh? Astrid: Go after Hiccup. We'll clear the hunters. Snotlout: Blast em' Hookfang. Yeah! Stoick: You get him, Toothless. Ryker: No, don't! Stoick: It's all right, Toothless, we got him. Hiccup: Good to see you, too, bud. Stoick: I want you to deliver a message to Viggo. You put a bounty on one of us, you get all of us. Well, that felt good. Astrid: Hiccup, your leg. Are you okay? Hiccup: I'm okay. Let's just go home. Tuffnut: Okay, if that was a bounty hunter, I'm rescinding my bounty, effective immediately. Hiccup: You know, I don't think I've ever seen you that mad, and that's saying something. Stoick: Nobody messes with a Haddock without paying the price. Now, about Berk's gold, that was my fault too, son. We both learned a lesson. But, Hiccup- Hiccup: I know what you're gonna say. And you're right. I should've told you about the bounty. After all, I'm your son. Stoick: Yes, but it's more than that. We're allies, peers. The people of Berk depend on us to keep them safe. And if we're gonna do that, we can have no secrets between us. But, that's a conversation for another day. I'm just glad to have you back. We both are. Category:Transcripts Category:Dragons: Race to the Edge Transcripts